In Mexico, in 2022, tourism contributed 8 percent to its national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), representing 30 billion dollars in foreign exchange earnings and 3.3 trillion pesos in consumption.
"Tourism can become an effective ally in the fight against poverty in our country, and for that reason alone, it should be recognized as a national priority," said Dr. Francisco Madrid, director of the Tourism Research and Competitiveness Center (CICOTUR), a think tank from Anahuac University.
His organization, along with the National Tourism Business Council of Mexico (CNET for its acronym in Spanish), presented the report "Rethinking Mexican Tourism," which both called to recognize the paramount importance of tourism activity in Mexico, promoting the economic and social development of the country.
The contribution of tourism is reflected in the direct and indirect employability it promotes; it is the first work activity for young people under 24 years of age (20 percent of total jobs in tourism) and the second to employ women (58 percent). Tourism has made it possible to reduce poverty rates in entities with a high tourist vocation, such as Quintana Roo (30 percent) and Baja California (18 percent), among others that are below the national average of 41 percent.
Thanks to tourism, it has also been possible to reduce the levels of marginalization in tourist municipalities (19 percent) compared to non-tourist cities that host 52 percent of their population.
Mexico currently is a market that provides opportunities for the settlement of national and foreign investments in infrastructure and services.
"The tourism industry must be positioned as a national priority as it is one of the main engines for economic and social growth in the country, allowing the inclusion of a greater number of Mexicans in job opportunities while expanding the opportunity for the development of society and reducing the social gap. From CNET, we endorse the importance of taking advantage of the potential of this industry and its direct and indirect benefits for the population and the country," said Braulio Arsuaga Losada, president of CNET.
The tourism industry has economic-social implications that should trigger growth and development in the country and a positive impact on its society. During the first two quarters, it became the only economic sector with a positive contribution to its tourism balance of just over 12.8 billion dollars, above other sectors, such as commercial, oil, and manufacturing.
Tourism has achieved a formal employability rate of 2.2 million jobs, similar to 2019.
In addition to these data, statistics, and the positive international perception of tourism, the conjunctural effects of the pandemic have allowed Mexico to position itself in second place among the most visited countries and the 13th in foreign exchange collection during the first half of 2022, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. This fact supports its importance as a key industry for the economic growth of Mexico.
In this way, CNET reinforces its commitment to promoting the development of tourism in Mexico through a program that includes rethinking this sector in terms of the rule of law and legal certainty, security, sustainability, digitalization, market intelligence, conditions of fair competition, strengthening support for small enterprises, territorial planning and growth management, connectivity, and infrastructure.
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